Author: Hagop Kamalian

Armenian opposition bloc not to join constitutional reforms
Arminfo
11 Jul 05
YEREVAN
The opposition Justice bloc will not join the process of
constitutional changes despite its original pledge to do so if the
ruling coalition accepts all the proposals of the Venice Commission,
the bloc decided at a meeting today.
The leader of the opposition National Democratic Party [NDP], Shavarsh
Kocharyan, told journalists that the bloc’s decision not to join the
constitutional reforms could be explained by the fact that the ruling
coalition had not included the proposals of the parliament opposition
in the draft package of constitutional reforms. Kocharyan recalled
that the opposition suggested that the president’s powers should be
reduced in terms of forming a government. In other words, the National
Assembly [parliament] should have the right to appoint the prime
minister after rejecting the president’s candidate.
“However, under the draft constitutional reforms the president has the
power to nominate a prime minister twice to the parliament and to
dissolve the National Assembly if it rejects the nomination a second
time,” Kocharyan noted.
The president also has a dominant role in forming the judiciary, the
MP alleged. Moreover, the NDP leader said that the draft
constitutional reforms do not have a provision for the direct election
of the mayor of Yerevan, something that the opposition had been
insisting on. He also noted that there is no item on the agenda of the
Justice bloc on stopping its boycott of the parliament’s law making
activities since the reasons for the opposition’s boycott have not
been eliminated.
In turn, a member of the governing board of the Anrapetutyun
[Republic] Party, Smbat Ayvazyan, said that there is no use
cooperating with the incumbent authorities over any document since the
ruling regime simply pretends to be aspiring to reform domestic laws
in accordance with democratic norms. He said with confidence that the
results of a referendum will be falsified because the authorities
cannot push the document through in a decent way. Ayvazyan said that
Anrapetutyun will issue a statement this week to say that the current
“illegitimate” regime has no right to carry out constitutional
reforms.
[Passage omitted: future plans, background]

Gold Coast Bulletin (Australia)
July 9, 2005 Saturday
Life from a female angle
by Judy Anderson
A MIXTURE of styles and themes converge in the Gold Coast Art
Gallery’s latest exhibition Processing Narratives which showcases the
work of seven Gold Coast women.
The contrasting backgrounds and life experiences of artists Haya
Cohen, Sonya Peters, Anne Smith, Roya Butler, Virginia Miller,
Suzanne Boulter and Veronica Heard intersect in a rich and impressive
body of work.
Their mediums range from oil painting to photography, installation
art and video projection. The link is their shared interest in
process – the process of life as much as of making art.
These works tell stories which connect the viewer to the private
worlds of the artists. Humour, nostalgia, memory, sensuality and
desire, mixed with the joys and demands of motherhood; it’s all here,
the stuff of real life, re-imagined and offered back to the viewer.
The distinctly feminine approach of this exhibition derives not only
from the choice of subject matter, but also from the choice of
material.
In Knitting a Corpoself, Haya Cohen uses yarn, traditionally
associated with women’s craft, to knit a human form entwined within
the exhibition area.
The impact of the work is powerful and its sheer scale and complexity
inspire wonder.
The artist creates the yarns herself, a process which is captured on
video and installed with the work. Her process of knitting becomes a
metaphor for slowing down time.
Suzanne Boulter emphasises the richness of the everyday by
transforming the banal into a thing of wonder through the magic of
video projection.
Her moving images reimagine the ritual of washing clothes, by
emphasising the overlooked beauty of the movement of towels, sheets
and clothing blown by the wind.
The result is a sequence of compelling compositions of colour and
movement, and a narrative readily shared.
Watching Boulter’s video, I reflected on my own creative relationship
with the washing line many years ago as a young mother; consciously
or was it unconsciously, pegging out washing while synchronising
colours.
I also recalled the line the day I tie-dyed everything in the house
from bras to sheets. Highlighting the everyday is a recurring theme
in this exhibition.
Installation artist Anne Smith sources her materials from industrial
hardware suppliers and deliberately chooses disregarded spaces in the
gallery – corners, window recesses and columns to present her work.
Her work, Filter is deceptively simple. The tenuously joined veil of
dust-masks create subtle, abstract patterns of light.
Smith’s kaleidoscope filling the recess of the gallery is created
from a set of coloured protractors on an overhead projector. The
plastic shapes are able to be rearranged, allowing viewers to
interact with the work, creating their own shifting patterns.
The love of play and humour in her work contributes to its beauty.
Colour and pattern in Roya Butler’s work is drawn from traditional
designs found in Persian carpets reflecting her own Persian origins.
Armenian artist Veronica Heard also explores cultural displacement.
Her series of paintings draw on both history and her memories related
to her Armenian heritage.
Like Butler, Heard’s ethnic background and the challenges it has
presented, are reflected in her work.
There is a powerful sense of a long tradition of women’s histories as
well as nostalgia for past times and places, accessible now only
through memory, and all the more precious for it.
Painting continues to feature strongly in the exhibition in the
sumptuous, sensuous and velvety surfaces of Sonya Peters’ figurative
paintings.
Her triptych A Fine Line is irresistible, inviting the audience to
view it up-close. Using personal snapshots as inspiration, she
fragments and restates images to present new meanings.
Virginia Miller’s poetic configurations of floating emblems slide
between reality and fiction.
Her work Clouded Series challenges our perception through a suite of
photographs that deliberately mimic painting. The viewer, peering
closely, is pleasantly caught in the interplay between illusion and
reality.
All are graduates from Griffith University Queensland College of Arts
and the School of Arts. The exhibition continues until July 17.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

ECONOMIC RELATIONS WITH SOUTH KOREA START WITH LEARNING ITS LANGUAGE AND CULTURE
AZG Armenian Daily #120, 30/06/2005
Cooperation
The coming academic year will add a new subject – Korean – to the
curriculum of Yerevan State Linguistic University after Valeri
Brusov. On this occasion, a delegation headed by ambassador of
South Korea to Russia and Armenia, Kim Je Sob, accompanied by South
Korean council-general to Armenia, Armen Abrahamian, visited the
university. The ambassador took part in the scientific council
of the university, talked about Korean culture and language and
Armenian-Korean cooperation in the sphere of higher education.
The South Korean government has prioritized the promotion of Korean
language, literature and culture in different countries of the world.
Growing interest in Korean language made Russian authorities open a
faculty of Korean Studies in St. Petersburg University, along with
the one functioning at Moscow University.
The ambassador pointed out that Korean is a peculiar language, with
no resemblance to Chinese and no kin to Japanese. He is sure that
students will easily command his mother tongue, which has only 24
letters created by Ly Dynasty in 14th century.
Rector of the university, Suren Zolyan, presented the ambassador
with the university’s medal as well as books on educational system
of Armenia and the university itself. The rector underscored that
economic relations begin with learning the language and the culture
of the country. Before arriving in Armenia, the education minister of
South Korea told the ambassador that necessary equipment for Korean
classes are bound to arrive in Armenia and the lecturer of Korean
will land in Yerevan in September.
The fact that optional classes of Chinese drew enormous number of
students last year allows the university administration to hope for
the same boom at the Korean classes. The optional classes of Chinese
will grow this year into a department of Chinese Studies.
The university administration has already chosen the first student,
Zaruhi Soghomonian, to depart for South Korea on July 30-August 11
together with other students form 6 countries to get acquainted with
the countries historic-cultural values and educational system.
In a conversation with journalists, Kim Je Sob shared with his
impressions of the first Armenian visit and talked about development
of Armenian-Korean relations at the present stage. “We have wonderful
prospects for the future and will do everything to establish mutually
beneficial cooperation between the states. We have focused particularly
on the spheres of trade, economy and technological development”,
the ambassador said.
The ambassador has relished pleasant weather, tasty fruits and dishes,
beautiful women and people’s kindness and warmth.
By Ruzan Poghosian
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

RUSSIAN TRADE REPRESENTATION TO BE ESTABLISHED IN ARMENIA
Pan Armenian News
29.06.2005 03:00
/PanARMENIAN.Net/ In 2005-2006 Russia will establish its trade
representations in 8 CIS member-states, these being Armenia,
Azerbaijan, Georgia, Kyrgyzstan, Moldova, Tajikistan, Turkmenistan
and Uzbekistan.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

PRIME MINISTER TO PAY OFFICIAL VISIT TO LITHUANIA
Armenpress
YEREVAN, JUNE 27, ARMENPRESS: An Armenian delegation headed by prime
minister Andranik Margarian will pay an official visit to Lithuania
at the invitation of his counterpart Algirdas Brazauskas on June 29
July 1.
The Armenian delegation will include finance and economy, trade and
development ministers, deputy foreign and agriculture ministers and
other government officials. In Lithuania Margarian is scheduled to
have talks also with president Valdas Adamkus and parliament chairman
Arturas Paulauskas.
Paulauskas and Margarian will also attend a June 30 Armenian-Lithuanian
business forum.
Margarian will wrap up the visit by a meeting with members of the
local Armenian community.

RP Online
Donnerstag, 16. Juni 2005
ARMENIEN-MASSAKER
Turkei zitiert deutschen Diplomaten zu sichveroffentlicht
Berlin (rpo). Mit dieser Entscheidung des Bundestags ist Ärger mit
der Turkei vorprogrammiert. Das Parlament hat eine Entschließung zum
Gedenken an die turkischen Massaker an den Armeniern im Jahr 1915
verabschiedet. Die Turkei reagierte emport auf die Resolution. Sofort
wurde ein Gesandter der deutschen Botschaft in Ankara ins
Außenministerium zitiert.
SPD, CDU/CSU, Grune und FDP fordern die Bundesregierung in der
Resolution auf, “dabei mitzuhelfen, dass zwischen Turken und
Armeniern ein Ausgleich durch Aufarbeitung, Versohnen und Verzeihen
historischer Schuld erreicht wird”. In der Resolution macht sich der
Bundestag die Einstufung der Massaker als “Volkermord” nicht
ausdrucklich zu eigen. Der Begriff kommt aber in der
Antragsbegrundung vor. Außenminister Abdullah Gul kritisierte die
Resolution als “verletzend” fur die Turkei und die in Deutschland
lebenden Turken.
Werbung:
Armenien wirft dem damaligen Osmanischen Reich einen gezielten
Volkermord an der armenische Bevolkerung vor, dem mehrere
hunderttausend Menschen zum Opfer fielen. Auch ein Großteil der
internationalen Offentlichkeit stuft die zwischen 1915 und 1917
begangenen Verbrechen als Volkermord ein. Aus Sicht der Turkei
handelte es sich bei den Ereignissen dagegen um die tragischen Folgen
einer Zwangsumsiedlung, die wegen des Krieges erforderlich gewesen
sei. Bei den Massakern und Todesmärschen starben zwischen 300.000 und
1,5 Millionen Menschen. Der Volkermordsstreit verhindert bis heute
eine Normalisierung der Beziehungen zwischen der Turkei und dem
Nachbarstaat Armenien.
Der CDU-Abgeordnete Erwin Marschewski forderte die Turkei auf, sie
solle “die Aufarbeitung des Volkermordes an den Armeniern als Chance
im Demokratisierungsprozess nutzen”. Er verwies darauf, dass
zahlreiche Staaten in Europa die Verbrechen an den Armeniern durch
die “Jungturkische Bewegung” als Volkermord anerkannt hätten und es
dazu auch Parlamentsbeschlusse gebe, darunter der der franzosischen
Nationalversammlung vor vier Jahren. Bei der Entschließung gehe es
nicht darum, die Turkei an den Pranger zu stellen, sondern die
Grundlage fur eine auf historischer Aufarbeitung beruhende Aussohnung
zu schaffen, betonte der Vorsitzende der Arbeitgruppe “Vertriebene
und Fluchtlinge” der CDU/CSU-Bundestagsfraktion.
–Boundary_(ID_L1Kah7ALndavxYsv8zQcpQ)
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From: “Katia M. Peltekian”
Subject: =?UNKNOWN?Q?T=FCrkei?= zitiert deutschen Diplomaten zu
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RP Online
Donnerstag, 16. Juni 2005
ARMENIEN-MASSAKER
Türkei zitiert deutschen Diplomaten zu sichveröffentlicht
Berlin (rpo). Mit dieser Entscheidung des Bundestags ist Ärger mit
der Türkei vorprogrammiert. Das Parlament hat eine Entschließung zum
Gedenken an die türkischen Massaker an den Armeniern im Jahr 1915
verabschiedet. Die Türkei reagierte empört auf die Resolution. Sofort
wurde ein Gesandter der deutschen Botschaft in Ankara ins
Außenministerium zitiert.
SPD, CDU/CSU, Grüne und FDP fordern die Bundesregierung in der
Resolution auf, “dabei mitzuhelfen, dass zwischen Türken und
Armeniern ein Ausgleich durch Aufarbeitung, Versöhnen und Verzeihen
historischer Schuld erreicht wird”. In der Resolution macht sich der
Bundestag die Einstufung der Massaker als “Völkermord” nicht
ausdrücklich zu eigen. Der Begriff kommt aber in der
Antragsbegründung vor. Außenminister Abdullah Gül kritisierte die
Resolution als “verletzend” für die Türkei und die in Deutschland
lebenden Türken.
Werbung:
Armenien wirft dem damaligen Osmanischen Reich einen gezielten
Völkermord an der armenische Bevölkerung vor, dem mehrere
hunderttausend Menschen zum Opfer fielen. Auch ein Großteil der
internationalen Öffentlichkeit stuft die zwischen 1915 und 1917
begangenen Verbrechen als Völkermord ein. Aus Sicht der Türkei
handelte es sich bei den Ereignissen dagegen um die tragischen Folgen
einer Zwangsumsiedlung, die wegen des Krieges erforderlich gewesen
sei. Bei den Massakern und Todesmärschen starben zwischen 300.000 und
1,5 Millionen Menschen. Der Völkermordsstreit verhindert bis heute
eine Normalisierung der Beziehungen zwischen der Türkei und dem
Nachbarstaat Armenien.
Der CDU-Abgeordnete Erwin Marschewski forderte die Türkei auf, sie
solle “die Aufarbeitung des Völkermordes an den Armeniern als Chance
im Demokratisierungsprozess nutzen”. Er verwies darauf, dass
zahlreiche Staaten in Europa die Verbrechen an den Armeniern durch
die “Jungtürkische Bewegung” als Völkermord anerkannt hätten und es
dazu auch Parlamentsbeschlüsse gebe, darunter der der französischen
Nationalversammlung vor vier Jahren. Bei der Entschließung gehe es
nicht darum, die Türkei an den Pranger zu stellen, sondern die
Grundlage für eine auf historischer Aufarbeitung beruhende Aussöhnung
zu schaffen, betonte der Vorsitzende der Arbeitgruppe “Vertriebene
und Flüchtlinge” der CDU/CSU-Bundestagsfraktion.

__________________________________
Discover Yahoo!
Find restaurants, movies, travel and more fun for the weekend. Check it out!

–Boundary_(ID_L1Kah7ALndavxYsv8zQcpQ)–
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Financial Express, India
June 8 2005
Cart before the horse?

Oil economics before oil diplomacy

Petroleum minister Mani Shankar Aiyar’s attempts to douse the
country’s energy thirst, by getting a transnational gas pipeline to
India through Pakistan, from West Asian gas wells, is indeed
laudable. For, few have ventured so aggressively to secure overseas
oil and gas deals. Success could well earn him the nickname
`Talleyrand of oil diplomacy,’ a tag enjoyed by Calouste Gulbenkian,
an Armenian billionaire deal maker, who made his mark half a century
ago by sewing complicated oil deals across the then Turkish empire.

However, unlike Gulbenkian, Mr Aiyar’s overarching reliance on
diplomacy borders on neglect of the economics of the deal. How else
does one explain the recent `oil’ diplomatic overtures in Pakistan by
the minister, when the economics of the deal, including Pakistan’s
take, the transit fees, is nowhere in sight? There is no denying the
fact that the gas pipeline deal finds critical mass in the recent
thawing of relationship between the two countries. But the need of
the hour is prudence. Also, basic negotiating practice demands less
euphoria and more hard-nosed work to get the deal off the ground.
Instead of following up astute commercial calculations with political
manoeuvres, the opposite is being attempted. Cart before the horse,
it appears. And, euphoria is often mistaken for desperation,
especially in the prevailing seller’s market. Transit costs matter,
but the basic economics of the deal lies in securing a competitive
gas producer price.
Agreed, given the volatile global markets, predicting gas prices a
few years from now, when supplies take place, is a difficult task.
However, that should not, in any way, undermine the safeguards and
best practices that need to be adopted while going about commercial
deals. More so when, as in this case, the end consumer is nowhere in
sight! All the more reason, then, that the procurement process is
carefully conducted. Else, we could end with a Dabhol-like situation
on hand, where committed capacity is required to be paid for,
regardless of the level of offtake by the consumer.
If the global gas markets tank a few years from now, coupled with the
intermediary PSU oil companies (which will be buying piped gas) not
having secured long-term supply contracts from end-consumers, we
could end with a replay of the torturous Dabhol crisis, where
taxpayers ended by taking a hair cut. Let the Dabhol lesson not be
lost when Mr Aiyar moves to the next port of call, Iran, where talks
on gas procurement take off.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Soccer-Armenia squad for World Cup matches v Macedonia, Romania
YEREVAN, June 1 (Reuters) – Armenia’s newly-appointed Dutch coach Henk
Wisman has named the following 20-man squad for his team’s World Cup,
European zone group one qualifier at home to Macedonia on Saturday
June 4 and away to Romania four days later:
Goalkeepers: Roman Berezovsky (Dynamo Moscow, Russia), Edela Bete
(Pyunik Yerevan)
Defenders: Sarkis Hovsepyan, Alexander Tadevosyan and Robert Arzumanyan
(all Pyunik Yerevan), Karen Dokhoyan (Krylya Sovietov Samara, Russia),
Egishe Melikyan (Metalurg Donetsk, Ukraine)
Midfielders: Romeo Djenebyan (Banants Yerevan), Agvan Mkrtychyan
(Pyunik Yerevan), Albert Sarkisyan (Amkar Perm, Russia), Romik
Khachatryan (OFI Crete, Greece), Aram Voskanyan and David Grigoryan
(both Esil-Bogatyr Petropavlovsk, Kazakhstan), Hamlet Mkhitaryan
(MTZ-RIPO Minsk, Belarus), Karen Aleksanyan (Zimbru Chisinau, Moldova)
Forwards: Arman Karamyan (Brasov, Romania), Galust Petrosyan (Zimbru
Chisinau, Moldova), Edgar Manucharyan (Ajax Amsterdam, Netherlands),
Ara Akopyan (Stal Alchevsk, Ukraine), Armen Shakhgeldyan (Beirut,
Lebanon).
06/01/05 13:47 ET
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Pundits react differently to Azeri-Armenian talks
Trend news agency
16 May 05
Baku, 16 May: Former presidential aide on foreign affairs Vafa
Qulizada, who is now an independent political analyst, believes
that at a meeting in Warsaw on 15 May the Azerbaijani and Armenian
presidents mainly discussed frequent cease-fire violations along the
contact line between the armed forces of the two countries.
“This meeting was dedicated to the OSCE Minsk group’s concern about
the frequent cease-fire violations along the contact line between the
armed forces of the two countries,” Quluzada told Trend. He believes
that the OSCE Minsk group co-chairs called for order until the sides
find a political solution to the Karabakh conflict.
“I think the presidents might have reached agreement on this. And
an end will be put to the meaningless casualties on the front-line,”
he said.
As for a possibility of progress in the Karabakh talks, Quluzada
believes that the situation is not yet ripe for that. “Because Russia
is not yet ready for that. Russia spares no effort in trying to stay
in the region, so the signing of a peace agreement by Yerevan and Baku
would mean the pull-out of the Russian military bases from Armenia
in the near future,” the political analyst said.
In principle, during the talks in Warsaw the sides might have discussed
some abstract settlement prospects, he said.
“When I say abstract, I mean that under pressure from Russia Armenia
is setting some absurd conditions which are completely unacceptable
for Azerbaijan. Azerbaijan will never agree to the loss of part of
its territories,” Quluzada said.
Another political analyst, Rasim Musabayov, is more optimistic about
the meeting between the presidents.
“The fact that the presidents had made no statements about the results
of the meeting showed that the talks were difficult. But they may
try to reach a compromise on certain issues,” Musabayov told Trend.
Musabayov is convinced that the Azerbaijani and Armenian presidents
discussed a stage-by-stage settlement plan, because a package solution
will not be acceptable.
The political analyst thinks that there can be no package solution
which will satisfy both sides at the same time. So, they can only
talk about a stage-by-stage settlement.
“Of course, there is very little chance that they will achieve any
results, but it still exists,” he added.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress

Agence France Presse — English
May 15, 2005 Sunday 6:16 PM GMT
Beirut: Slain Lebanese premier’s son announces electoral list
BEIRUT
Saad Hariri, son of the slain former premier Rafiq Hariri, on Sunday
announced his electoral list for Beirut’s three constituencies in the
Lebanese general election due to begin May 29.
Hariri announced 19 candidates for the city’s 19 seats, of which 10
are Christian and the rest Muslim.
His list includes Solange Gemayel, widow of slain president and
Christian warlord Bashir Gemayel, who will be the only candidate for
Beirut’s Maronite Christian seat, and Shiite movement Hezbollah’s
Amin Sherri for one of the two Shiite seats.
Standing for one of two Greek Orthodox seats will be Gibrane Tueni, a
member of the Christian anti-Syrian group Kornet Chehwan and the son
of newspaper owner Ghassan Tueni.
A key ally of Hariri’s father and a former justice minister, Bahige
Tabbara, is to stand for one of six Sunni seats.
Other candidates on the Hariri list are the same as those who stood
in the last elections in 2000 in support of his father.
These include candidates for the four Armenian seats, excluding
members of the Tashnag party which has widespread support among
Beirut’s significant Armenian minority.
From: Emil Lazarian | Ararat NewsPress